Things Learned
by Ariyah's rider
Summary: AU, Sequel to Things Known. Prince Loki of Asgard is sent to earth to retrieve the Tesseract from the mortals who are meddling with it. Of course, he quickly discovers that when things come to humans, nothing is ever simple. Powerful forces vie for control and custody of the most powerful object in the nine realms, and the homesick prince finds himself caught in the middle.
1. Prologue: Restless

_**Things Learned**_

_**IMPORTANT:**_

_**Before I get into this, I've got a few things to say. Firstly, this is a sequel. Which means there is something that comes before it. Which it draws heavily upon. Second, it's an AU. You might want to go find the prequel to figure out the setup for the AU. It's called Things Known and if you haven't read it, you should. Third… I don't have a third. Just read Things Known if you haven't yet, it'll save you a headache.**_

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><p><em>If there's a remedy when trouble strikes,<em>

_What reason is there for dejection?_

_And if there is no help for it,_

_What use is there in being glum?_

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><p><em><strong>Prologue: Restless<strong>_

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><p><em>Monday (Moon's Day) March 12, 2012 <em>

_Asgard._

_(Hint: this is almost 2 months __**before**__ the __Things Known__ epilogue)_

Loki found he could not sleep.

Not that it bothered him too much, he could run on very little sleep. The lack of rest was not bothering him at all_._

It was the unknown reason for it that was getting to him.

The trick about it was that it was none of the things that usually kept him up at night. Not nightmares, not stress, not thinking of Baldur, not his admitted paranoia stemming from having to look over his shoulder for 17 long, painful years of fighting his younger brother. It was downright confusing. Of course, lack of sleep was nothing new to the younger prince of Asgard, it was an admittedly, and annoyingly, familiar affliction of his. It had plagued him since his childhood, and carried right on into his adult life.

But the fact remained it always had a clear cause, be it stress or worry over Thor, one of his less frequent, but still terrifying nightmares, or in more recent memory, worry over Baldur and his plans, there was always a reason for his inability to find rest.

Not this time. He was merely restless, he wasn't even tired. It was the middle of the night and Loki Odinson was wide awake and reading. A small ball of light hovered over his left shoulder, casting white light down on the pages of the spell book he was mulling over. It was not new reading to him, few things in Asgard were anymore, with the speed he read, and how much of his time was occupied with books. But he did not care, there was always more to learn from even the most well read of his books. Magic and spells could always be refined and made better, he could always glean more information from these old pages.

His restlessness was not confined to a lack of sleep, however. He could not loose himself in these pages at the moment, and was merely staring listlessly at words scribbled before him, eyes glazed over as they passed across writing of the book, and his own notes scratched into the empty spaces between the paragraphs and the margin lines. Both his heart and mind were elsewhere.

With a sigh, he pushed himself off the floor, little light rising with him as he moved slowly, quietly, across the floor, bare feet not making the slightest noise. The heavy book he had been reading was slid onto his desk, and he slowly pulled the light down from the air, 'til it was held in his hands. The light glinted upon his emerald eyes, dimming as his hands closed around it, snuffing it out like a candle.

His sight adjusted quickly, the world shifting to shades of gray, light shadows dancing about, cast from the stars above him. He made his way out of his bedchamber, and out of his rooms into the dark hallway outside. Loki needed not light in these halls, he knew them as well as his own hands, he had spent his childhood creeping about these passages in the dark.

No one crossed the prince's path as he wandered the hallways of his home, the world was asleep and paid his journey no mind. As he walked, his restless mind drifted, sifting through memory and worry.

For now at least, Asgard was at peace, and Loki could try to be at peace as well. He was home, his family was slowly healing from the wounds inflicted upon it, his world was stitching itself back together. Life was looking up.

Of course, it was, in many ways, an illusion

The reality was that without Asgard acting as what was essentially a police force for the nine realms, things were going to chaos. With the destruction of the Bifrost, trade halted, and worlds were thrown into a power vacuum like nothing before. Heimdal watched each realm, and day by day it felt as though the damage was creeping ever closer to irreparable. Jotunhiem was in especially bad straights, the damage from the Bifrost lingering unrepaired, as it could not be fixed without the Casket of Ancient Winters. Helblindi, who was trying valiantly to fill the power gap left by Laufey, was at risk of being overthrown, of being killed.

The world was on fire, and there was nothing they could do. It was crippling, and Loki felt helpless to do anything, like a man watching a cage fight, on the outside looking in.

Perhaps that was keeping him awake.

As he slipped by his father's library, he stopped short. A faint sliver of light shone out from the bottom of the door, like a slash through the fabric of the world, letting light shine through. It grew and faded, flickering like the firelight that undoubtedly created it.

The room was occupied. But why, and by whom, at this late hour of the night? Most of Asgard slept, who other than Loki himself was awake, and what was troubling them? Curiosity lead his hands as he softly pushed the door open, light cutting into the dark hallway, making him narrow his eyes as the strained to adjust to the assault. When the blaze of light was fought past, Loki found himself looking at his father, whose back was turned to him, staring into the roaring fire. The young prince slipped into the room quietly, gliding across the floor and moving into his father's vision. The only indication he got that he presence was known was a small flick of the singular blue eye towards him, then back to the fire.

"You should not be awake at this hour." Odin finally said, breaking the silence. Loki stood off to the side, watching his father and not the flames. His hands were held behind his back, his eyes pensive.

"I could say the same of you." Loki replied smoothly. "I have never known you to sleep poorly." Odin's eye flicked back to Loki quickly.

"Tell me, son, how well did you sleep in your time as regent?" Loki took a slow breath, and shook his head. Odin's gaze returned to the fire.

"Those days are long past, are they not? You have been king for millennia now, surely such 'new ruler jitters' are behind you." Loki mused, not really expecting an answer and more thinking aloud. Odin did not look at him this time.

"There is no such thing, Loki, as new ruler jitters. The weight of the throne never goes away, it is a burden." Odin sighed, watching the orange tongues of fire as they reflected in his eye. "But it is a glorious one."

"I am glad sometimes that Thor will be king, and I will not."

"Others?"

"Others… I'm not sure." Loki sighed. "Sometimes I am worried, but I never want to take his place." The younger prince smiled to himself. "All those centuries of work, trying to make him the best king for Asgard, they would be for nothing then. That would be horrible."

"You are not envious of your brother?" Odin asked. Loki narrowed his eyes. He'd never been asked that by his father before. Sif asked him a few times, Fandral and co. once or twice more, but never his father. Even his mother had asked him once, but Odin… he had never asked such a pointed question.

"Sometimes I am envious of the love the people have for him. That they adore him and admire him and honor him, while I am degraded, insulted, demonized and dishonored. That I envy." Loki let out a harsh sigh, looking to the fire now and closing his eyes. "But only ever that. And as you have always told me, such people are foolish, and not worth my time or my tears." Odin nodded slowly.

"I wish I could have done more for you." Odin mused aloud, drawing Loki's gaze back to him.

"What do you mean?"

"I stole your childhood from you, exposed you to the most wretched things in the world far to early. And then I allowed you to be ridiculed and dishonored by your own people. I did not see, or did not know, how your were treated, how you were abused." Loki frowned, not understanding. "While you were gone, I asked Heimdal to tell me all he saw of you over your years. I cannot believe I did not see the pain you were in."

"You did what you could."

"It is not enough." Odin said, turning to look Loki in the eye. There was shame and regret in his one blue eye, and it seemed to latch onto Loki's heart. "I should have done more, and for that I am sorry." Loki bowed his head and smiled, shaking his head back and forth.

"You don't see it, do you?" Loki said, looking back to his father. "Father, you loved me, you made sure I knew that no matter what I was, I was still _your son_ and it didn't matter that I was a frost giant, that did not define me. Anytime I would come to you, you dropped everything to speak with me, you put the needs of _a child_ before those your kingdom. It may not have been the wisest of things you ever did, but it meant the world to me. No matter what you did, father, I would have been in pain. It's not your fault, it can't be! You _eased my pain_, every day you did. People could say all they wanted about me, I didn't care. My father loved me, and that was all that mattered. You could have kept me in the dark about who I was, if you chose. But you didn't, and I am all the better for it. And because you weren't always protecting me, I had to learn to protect myself. You prepared me for the world, father, whether you meant to or not, that is what you did. Your choice to tell me who I was may have stolen away my childhood, but I am sure that it saved my adulthood, and for that, I am grateful." Odin stared at his son a long moment, the silence lingering between them. The king of Asgard looked dumbfounded, as if he could not understand what he had heard.

"I killed you." He whispered, and Loki's face softened, his hands unclasped and came to his sides, shoulders folding in as he let his head hang and he sighed.

"Yes, you did."

"I do not know why."

"Because when it came down to it, Baldur was supposed to be the honest one. Either way, you were going to loose a son, and you and the rest of Asgard and anyone in their right mind would have sided with Baldur."

"But I did not have to kill you."

"No, you didn't." Loki sighed again. "But you did."

"How can you forgive me for such action?" Loki paused at his father's words. Then he looked back to his father's eye.

"I honestly don't know." He smiled, and Odin looked away. "That doesn't mean I won't." Loki said, but Odin did not stir. "You are my father. I may be angry with you, I may not understand, but I cannot hate you for it. I cannot hate _you_. I love you. So I forgive you. It does not matter why or how. I just do_._"

"How did you become such a good man?" Odin asked, whispering his words as if they escaped without him noticing, without his consent.

"Because I had a good father." Loki replied, smiling at the All-Father. He put and ivory hand on one weathered shoulder, drawing his father's gaze. "You should go rest." He said.

"I am not frail, Loki."

"If you don't, I will tell mother you were up all night." Odin narrowed his one eye, glaring at his son. Loki merely raised his eyebrows and cocked his head as if to say 'I will, and you know it.' Odin relinquished and stood. As he was about to slip out the door, he paused and turned to his son.

"You are a good man, Loki." He said. "Don't ever let anyone tell you differently." He paused, looking down slightly, and then right into Loki's green eyes. "I am proud of the man you have become, I have always been proud of you. I am honored to call you my son." With those words, the King left the chamber, leaving a dumbfounded Loki behind.

He blinked for a moment, then a smile bloomed across his face.

Suddenly, he felt rather tired. With a stretch and a sigh, Loki followed his father out of the library, back to his room. Back to sleep.

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><p><em>Wednesday (OdinWoden's Day) July 13, 2012_

Midday on Asgard in summer was nice. It was warm and pleasant and most of the population could be found outside doing something characteristically active. Thor, for instance, was always sparring around this time, his laughter joyously ringing across the grounds. But, there was one person who could not wait for each blazing hot day of summer to end.

_Just another typical, hot, wet, dusty summer day out at the sparring rings._ Loki mused irritably. The humid air licked around like a suspended, breathable lake, making sweat streak cleanly down dirt covered faces. Even still, the ground of the rings kicked up from the hard packed earth beneath the feet of the fighters. Hair stuck to faces, shades darker from the sweat that soaked through, hands gripped tighter on weapons so that salty slick palms did not lose their grip. Exhausted former fighters gazed on at the ongoing fights with rapt attention, blinking the salt water from their own eyes as they cheered on friends in the rings below.

_All very Asgardian_. Loki thought. He was one of the many spectators of this match, between his brother and Tyr, Captain of the Guard. Beside him, Sif cheered wholeheartedly for Thor shaking her fist in the air. On his other side a guardsman cheered Tyr on, but he gave Loki the occasional worried look, sheepish and secretive (as much as an Asgardian could be) in his support. Loki watched nearly silently. Usually, he would study the fight, but today his heart was not in it. And it was unbearably hot, for him anyway.

He caught Sif's slight cock of her head when he drew away, and he might had told her something along the lines of _I already know who will win_ as he left. He wandered to his favorite place in Asgard, the library. It was bearably cool and held some use to him in the form of trying to find a solution to the Bifrost problem. Something more productive than sparring to do. He settled himself into a seat in a cool corner and was soon surrounded by books, time slipping by him utterly unnoticed.

"Loki?"

"Over here Thor." Loki smiled to himself as Thor wandered through the library trying to find him, even after he tried to guide the thunderer to him. Eventually Thor spotted him, his already bright face beaming at the sight of his younger brother. "Do you need something? Going hunting?"

"No, nothing of the sort." Thor answered, crossing his arms and leaning over to Loki's very full table. He grabbed one of the open books, flipping through a few pages before a pale hand snapped out, taking the book and setting it beside him, moving the pages back to where they were. Thor frowned, but Loki wasn't even looking at him, he was focused on his own book. "What are you doing?"

"Looking into ways of fixing the Bifrost."

"Why?"

"The nine are in chaos. We have to fix the Bifrost." Loki replied.

"Yes, but must you take it upon yourself? Father has his best scholars working on this issue, surely you can do other things?"

"It's too hot outside for me. In here it is cool, and I am comfortable." Loki replied smoothly.

"Could I help you?" Thor asked, and his brother looked up, drawing back and arching an ebony eyebrow at his brother, wry smile on his face.

"You want to stick your nose in a book? Voluntarily?" Thor shrugged. Loki narrowed his eyes, smirk vanishing. "Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?" He asked, voice somehow completely level and serious. Thor chuckled slightly and shook his head.

"Loki, honestly, I want to help." The blond sighed and pulled up a chair, sitting across from his younger brother. "The world outside of Asgard is in turmoil, because of my actions, and yet… I cannot do _anything _to help. I feel responsible for a problem I cannot fix."

"You are not responsible."

"I destroyed the Bifrost." Loki pursed his lips, thinking for a moment.

"Alright then." Loki slid a book over to his brother, an unopened volume. "Look through this, try to find mentions of pathways between worlds, look for locations." Thor nodded and opened the book, scanning the pages. Part of him felt like his brother was merely humoring him, but he did not care.

"You knew where these were, did you not?"

"I did. But I… they've moved, I cannot find them."

"Why did they move? How?"

"I asked Heimdal. Apparently the convergence of the realms is nearing, that may be interfering with them." Thor nodded, going back to focusing on his book. "Still a year or two away though." Loki sighed under his breath.

"If they are not where they were, how will my looking for locations help?"

"That book is from the last time the convergence came. It may help in that regard." Loki replied, and Thor didn't argue. Loki was always better with matters like these anyway.

He felt the ages slip by, and as much as he tried not to, he spoke to Loki quite often. His younger brother was gracious about it, smiling and answering his questions and just generally being patient with him. Still, he was bored out of his mind, the words on the page had long since turned to maddening scribbles on the page, and he was wondering just how Loki could stand being in here _all day_.

Thor very nearly jumped for joy when he heard an intrigued noise come from his brother's mouth. "What is it?" He asked eagerly, nearly out of his seat as he leaned over the table to look at what Loki was reading. "Something that can help?"

"You recall the Tesseract, correct?" Loki asked, not looking up from the relatively new looking book he was reading, occasionally glancing to a much older tome that sat on the table to his left.

"I do." Thor replied. "It was the jewel of our Father's treasure room, lost in a war on Midgard long ago, before you and I were even born. No one knows where it is or what became of it." Loki nodded solemnly, musing noises coming through his thoughts, eyes intently focused on his books. Thor envied his concentration. "What of it?"

"Reconstructing the structure of the Bifrost is not difficult. It is the power within it that we have lost. The Tesseract has this power. It could be used to restore the Bifrost."

"But it is lost."

"Perhaps not." Loki replied, and spun the book in his hands to face Thor. "The writer of this book was a mage, a decent one at that. Around the 70 years past, she claims to have sensed a great disturbance in the world, that came and went in an instant, and came from Midgard. But it ended on the other end of space. There is only one thing that could do that."

"The Tesseract." Thor whispered. A smile peeled across Loki's face as he spoke, voice full of more than joy of victory and success, but elation and curiosity at finding such and object.

"The Tesseract." Loki grinned like a madman, then jumped up, grabbing the book and grabbing Thor. "We have to talk to Heimdal!" He cried, nearly dragging Thor out of the library, the elder brother stumbling over his feet like a clumsy child taking his first steps.

"Why?" Thor asked when he finally regained his footing and ran alongside his brother.

"Because, he will be able to find the Tesseract if I tell him what to look for." Loki said confidently. Thor frowned, confused.

"But, if that were true, would he not have found it already." Loki stopped, and Thor worried he had smashed Loki's hopes, but a wry smile was on his face.

"Thor, something such as the Tesseract does not get lost unless someone wants it to be lost." Loki explained. "Someone did not what it to be found, so they claimed it was lost."

"No one could do that except for father." Thor said, frown deepening. But Loki's smile only broadened. Thor was getting the regrettably familiar feeling that Loki knew something he did not. "I don't understand." Loki sagged a little, but walked back to Thor to explain.

"The Tesseract was the jewel of Odin's treasure room, the most powerful object in Asgard. Then it just vanishes, no one looks for it, no one asks any questions. It wasn't _lost_ Thor, it was _hidden_. It was put on Midgard to keep it from people here. But the mortals seem to have found it, and are trying to use it." Thor nodded, beginning to understand his brother's whirlwind trail of thought.

"But, if it was hidden, will father let us retrieve it now?"

"Of course." Loki replied, as if it were obvious. Thor stared at him blankly. "We need it now, Thor." He explained calmly. The crown prince seemed to understand, and satisfied that his brother and he were on the same page, Loki set off once more.

"Loki, wait." Thor said, and Loki turned around slowly. "We should talk to father first. If it was him who hid it, then we should talk to him about finding it." Loki thought for a moment, then walked past Thor in the direction of the throne room mumbling something along the lines of _when did you get so clever_.

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><p>"Father!" Thor yelled when they entered the council chambers. "Loki and I need to speak with you." Odin's one eyebrow was raised in irritation, and the council around him was giving Thor wary looks. Loki stood behind him, rubbing his forehead, seemingly exhausted and embarrassed by Thor's antics.<p>

"Is it important enough to interrupt a council meeting?" Odin questioned.

"Surprisingly enough, it is." Loki replied, then swept a hand at the council in the room. "You may not want company for this conversation." Odin drew back a little.

"Why is this?"

"It's about the Tesseract." Thor said bluntly, earning a glare from both his father and brother. His gaze flicked between the two of them, confused about why they were upset with him. The All-Father drew back more, taking a deep breath.

"What of it?"

"It can be used to repair the Bifrost." Loki said, and flipped the book he had been carrying open, handing it to his father. "I think I may have found it." Odin took the book and read over the page Loki had opened to. "The sorceress felt a surge of energy the originated on Midgard. Granted my information on the mortals is slightly outdated, but as far as I am aware, they have never possessed the abilty to create such energy. Add to that the fact that this surge shot across space, via a portal, and transported _something_ along with it, I believe it came from the Tesseract."

"Do you have any other support for this?"

"Some less than flattering deductions." Loki replied, and Odin nodded. "The Tesseract can be used to repair the Bifrost's ability to create bridges between the realms. This alone should warrant us searching for it."

"I agree." Odin replied, closing the book slowly. He dismissed the council, deep in thought as the stuffy old Asgardians shuffled out of the room.

"Perhaps me and Thor could go to Midgard and-" Loki began, but his father cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"No. Thor's place is here, as crown prince he must stay in Asgard. You, however," he turned to Loki, "are free to go on your own." Loki set his jaw lightly, looking distressed.

"Father, perhaps you could reconsider." Thor began, seeing Loki's distress. Why his younger brother would be upset, Thor did not know, but regardless, he would do what he could to make the worry go away. "Loki has not been to Midgard in a long time, and I was just recently there. And after the events in New Mexico, they will think him their enemy. I am considered their friend, I could help him greatly."

"No Thor, your place is here." Odin's voice grew stern, but Thor was equally as stubborn, especially when it came to matters involving Loki.

"Father-"

"I said no!" Odin stood glaring at his elder son. Thor set his jaw and took a breath to begin arguing, but Loki grabbed his shoulder and just shook his head. Thor frowned, confused, but he backed down, and Odin nodded his thanks to Loki. "Learn some wisdom from your brother, Thor. It will do you good." Thor looked away, nursing his wounded pride. "Go now, prepare for your journey. Time is of the essence, you shall leave tomorrow."

"Yes father." Loki said quietly, and pulled Thor out of the room with him to ensure nothing went wrong behind his back. It only took a few steps away from the great hall for Thor to stop walking and question his brother.

"Loki, why did you stop me?"

"Because you and father are both bullheaded stubborn people. You'd stand there arguing until Ragnarök come, if allowed. It was clear that father was not going to let you come to Midgard with me, even if you were in the right. He is the king, what he says goes." The younger prince answered.

"I could come with you anyway."

"No, it's nothing really." Thor laughed and shook his head.

"Which is Loki-speak for 'it's really important but I feel bad about it', am I correct?" Loki narrowed his eyes at his brother, the turned on his heel and stalked away. After a breath, Thor jumped to follow him. "Loki! Brother wait! What is troubling you? Please, brother, tell me, how can I help?"

"You cannot, so leave it." Loki bit out, not turning to face his brother.

"_Please_." Thor jumped in front of Loki and put a hand on his shoulder, all but begging his brother to tell him what was on his mind. Even his own sibling was not immune to Thor's big, blue eyed kicked puppy look, and his pleading eyes melted the frost giant's icy resolve.

"Thor I lost four hundred years of my life, all of that time, it's just gone. I don't want to loose any more time with my family, my friends… I don't want to be alone." He sighed, running a hand over his hair. "Reality is however that there is nothing for it."

"Father is just being stubborn and-"

"No, he is having difficulties." Loki countered. "Anyone would though. He couldn't send both of us if he wanted to."

"What?"

"Sending people between the realms is incredibly strenuous, I doubt he could send more than one of us anyway." He explained, smiling at Thor slightly.

"You're just making excuses for him." Thor growled.

"Perhaps." Loki sighed. "Or maybe I'm just giving him the benefit of the doubt."

"Why wouldn't he just tell us then?"

"Does it matter? Father has a reason for everything he does, isn't that what mother always tells us?" Loki stopped walking and turned to face his brother. "This is the reality, Thor. We have to go and get the Tesseract. Whether or not he can, father won't send both of us. I must go and you must stay, that is the way of the world."

"So what do you do, let the world happen to you?"

"No, you make the best out of the situation posed to you. This is what I choose. I cannot change this, I know that. Thor, you try so hard sometimes to change the world, to change life that you do not see you are running into a wall. There are things in life we cannot change and those we can. Wisdom, is knowing the difference." Loki rubbed his forehead. "I will go to Midgard, and I will do as I am bid. I will make the best of this. As quickly as I can. Then I will come back home, and get on with my life." Loki smiled lightly then turned and walked away.

* * *

><p>It wasn't fair.<p>

Life wasn't ever fair really, it had been even less so to him, but that never stopped Loki from wishing life was fair. Even just a little more.

Why did he, who had lost so much, have to loose yet more? All he really wanted know was to regain some of what was lost. He wanted to be with his brother, he wanted to do crazy things with his friends, he wanted to play chess with his father and talk about magecraft with his mother. His time here was limited, his time with them was limited and his time being free was limited. Thor would be king someday soon and all the time for frivolous things and merely being brothers over.

Sometimes, some days, Loki wished Thor had never brought him back. He was desperate to make the most out of everything he had, terrified it would slip through his fingers and he would loose everything. He had made his peace with death, and now he had so much more time and he didn't what to do with himself. And he had too much to do, to much to make up.

And he was loosing more time now.

Loki had too much to make up for, to much to replace. Too much to do.

He'd been given a second chance at life, something no one ever got, something he should not have. To spend a second doing something useless, it felt wrong.

Loki shook himself out of his thoughts, rubbing a hand over his face and letting out a sigh though his fingers. It was night now, he'd spent most of the day trying to make the most of it that he could. To little avail. Now he was standing out on the balcony of his chambers, trying to come up with a list of pros, and trying to find a point of rest in his madly running mind. It wasn't going too well, staring up at the stars, breeze shifting his loose hair, flicking it in and out of his face. Even a night it was hot and sticky, these times. It was too uncomfortable to sleep, and there was too much going on in Loki's mind.

In his fight to calm his thoughts, he recalled something his mother told him long ago.

_When your mind is running too quickly, and it will not calm down, think of simpler times, simpler moments, when you were smiling, when life was easy and you were free and fearless._

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><p><em>November 9, 985 AD<em>

_"Do you ever wonder what they are?" Thor turned to look at his younger brother, whose green gaze was fixed upon the stars. "The curtains. Do you ever wonder what they are?"_

_"Not really." Thor replied, gazing upwards at the night sky to follow his brother's gaze. "Why are you looking at the sky and talking about curtains?"_

_"The curtains of lights in the sky, Thor. Not the curtains in the palace." Loki replied. "Blue and green. They come every night, but I don't know what they are."_

_"So? You don't have to know everything. You already know more than I ever have, or ever will, I suppose." Thor chuckled. "Some day, you will be as wise as father."_

_"You think?"_

_"You already know so much."_

_"There is more to wisdom than knowledge Thor." Loki said quietly. "One could know everything in the world, and not at all be wise. And one could know very little and be quite wise in deed."_

_"Well you know everything." Thor mused, not understanding and thus ignoring Loki's words._

_"I know nothing at all." Loki whispered._

_"Don't be ridiculous." Thor chided. "You know tons of things. You, you know how to turn invisible, you know how to heal people, you can hit a coin from 500 yards away with a bow, you can make weapons and-"_

_"When posed an option whether I know nothing or everything, I choose nothing. Because I am always learning. And I do not know what the curtains are." Loki looked down to his brother and smiled. "I never want to know everything Thor. The world would be so boring if there was nothing left to learn."_

_"I would prefer to know all there is to know, that no one can know more than me." Thor smirked wryly. "Then all my foes would fall at my feet."_

_"A better motivation for such power would be to bring peace, you know."_

_"Then the world would truly be boring." Thor scoffed. "With nothing to do, I'd be trapped in a library with you. There would be no adventures, no quests, no battles."_

_"No one dying." Loki interjected. "Life would be good. You're going to be king some day Thor, you must learn to desire peace. It's better for everyone, peace is what we all must strive for. It makes the world better, makes life better. War's ultimate goal should be peace."_

_"Peace, Loki, is what I have you around for." Thor slung an arm around his brother's shoulders. "Because you are the clever one." Loki smiled broadly, looking down at the floor of the balcony they sat on. Pure joy wormed it's way into his heart, and he leaned on his brother's shoulder. Here he was safe and content, sitting on the top of the palace and watching the stars and the lights of the sky._

* * *

><p>Loki let the memory wash over him, drinking it in as though he was there once more. He took a few deep breaths, recalling the simple joy of that night, and allowing it and it alone to fill his mind. Slowly, the memory pushed the fear and angst from his mind, stilled his heart and allowed him to find a little peace.<p>

With a slight yawn and shake of his head, Loki slipped into his room, letting his magic close the balcony door, bedchamber door, and change his clothes as he merely flopped into his bed.

_Rest now. Worry over the world later._ He thought to himself, closing his eyes and tapping into happy memories once more, stepping into the world of his dreams.

* * *

><p>The next morning was a quick on for Loki. He barely packed, he found he did not need to most times. Most of his morning was spent talking with Thor about earth, as his elder brother had been there more recently. It was a project to sift through Thor's erratic commentary on his trip down to what was truly facts, but Loki had years of experience at this. Still, it took Thor ages to actually finish a thought, as he kept jumping from one to another. It was maddening. Eventually, Loki was in the stables getting his horse ready to ride to the end of the Bifrost, where his father would send him on a one way bumpy trip to Midgard. Thor caught up to him as he was about to set off.<p>

"Loki! Thank the norns I caught you." The black haired prince raised his eyebrows, halting his movements as Thor held something out to him. "It's a letter."

"I can see that." Thor scowled.

"I asked father if he could send you to Jane, he agreed. This is a letter to her, from me, with a few things to confirm that it _is_ in fact from me. It explains all that happened last year so, hopefully she won't hurt you."

"Are there any other greetings in it?" Loki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"There are." Thor sighed, and took Loki by the shoulders, blue eyes boring into Loki's green orbs. "Loki, promise me, whatever happens, that you will keep her safe, so much as you can. But please, brother, do not die for her sake. You are still more important to me." Loki nodded, and took the note form one of Thor's hands, just in time to find himself in a crushing embrace. "_You_ stay safe, do you hear? You come back to me, you come back in one piece, you come back breathing. Do you understand Loki?"

"I understand."

"No heroics."

"No guarantees."

"I'm serious brother!"

"As am I." Loki smiled and drew away. "I have to go."

"Be safe."

"Who is always watching your back?"

"Watch your own, Loki." A smile split the younger Odinson's face as he mounted his horse and ran out of the stables. "Watch your own." Thor repeated, quietly, to himself, before turning away and walking back home.

Loki was silent on his ride, his mind nearly empty as he let his horse to the navigation. He did not see as the world passed by, he was oblivious to it all. He would not look at these streets, he was not going for long. He'd be back shortly, in theory.

He had not slept, instead spending the night governing his thoughts and putting himself into a better state of mind. He found things he was looking forward to, one of which was meeting Jane. He wished to meet the young woman who had changed his brother so. And Midgard itself would be a wild curiosity after all these years. He had actually managed to get himself to look forward to his trip a little. He may not be going with a smile, and he may rather not go at all, but at least he could find some trifling joy in this all. It was better than nothing.

Odin was waiting for him, seeming a little surprised that Loki was late.

"Thor caught up with me. You know he can be with goodbyes." Loki smiled at his father, slinging the small bag he carried over his shoulder. Odin smiled wryly for the briefest of moments, before his face melted back into the image of tired grief that Loki knew well these days. His father was _so_ weary. "So, I'm to go and see Jane Foster."

"Indeed. Thor was quite emphatic that you meet someone who he knows, so that you may have some place to go, according to him." Odin replied. "I agreed."

"As do I. Though Jane will probably think that I tried to kill him last year." He showed his father the letter. "I hope this gets her to stop trying to murder me." The ghost of a smile slipped across Odin's face, gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Thor paints her as a reasonable woman, and if the way he seems to miss her is the same for her missing him, I think any word from your brother will gain her attention." Loki nodded slightly, shifting his wait from foot to foot and staring at the ground.

"I am sorry that you must go alone, my son." Odin said. Loki did not reply.

"So, how is this done?" He asked, looking at his father through the top of his head.

"You already know, I believe." Loki took a deep breath and straightened up. He extended his hand to his father, who grasped his forearm firmly. "Hale go forth, hale return, hale on your ways." Odin said calmly, and Loki felt a jolt of power surge through his body, and a far rougher version of the pull of the Bifrost yank on him. It was like he was strapped into a harness and attached to a horse that was just spooked into a full out gallop.

And the world around him vanished.

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>IMPORTANT:<strong>_

_**OK, so this is how this is going to go down. **_

_**You have a prologue, which I drew out to the furthest possible extent to give you something long to read. Be happy.**_

_**Here's the sticky bit. **__**Things Known**__** was some of my best stuff, and I want to keep that same caliber up with this story. **__**Things Known**__** was a complete rough draft when I began to post it, I would run through the whole story very often to edit it and ensure continuity, and when I would post a chapter, I would spend a good two hours checking over it first (I still didn't catch everything and that gets to me…). But as a block, it was done, and that helped the story a lot. I just cannot write week to week and do something that lives up to the bar I set for myself, and I have no buffer of chapters set up for this story. The prologue is **__**it**__**. So I have to write the whole story, then I will add more. It will go quickly when I get to posting, which should be around Christmas time if my schedule is willing. I'm going to College in August, I'm doing a dual major, I'm going to be busy. I will do my best to make this the best story I can as quickly as I can, but it is going to take time. I have a defined plot line for this story, I know what I'm doing with it. What I don't know is how long it's going to be.**_

_**Or you know, when it'll be done.**_

_**But, in the interests of kindness, I'll give you a glimpse of what my current ideas for **__**Things Learned**__** are.**_

_**Loki is our main character, the story centers around him and how he interacts with others. **_

_**Jane will be present for at least the first half of the story, Darcy and Erik may also be present.**_

_**Steve Rodgers, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff will be playing roles through the story, Tony Stark will be present at some points. Bruce will not make an appearance.**_

_**This story takes place on earth exclusively, after the prologue. The only exceptions are when Loki uses a projection to visit Thor in Asgard, which will happen once or twice. That is all that will be seen of Thor.**_

_**There will be no Baldur. If you don't know why that is important, go read **__**Things Known**__**.**_

_**I'm not going to tell you who the villain is, that is a **__**spoiler**__**. (If you must know, PM me or something)**_

_**Plot wise, things revolve around Loki trying to get the Tesseract, and the shenanigans that go along with that. I'm not going to make it easy for him. (If you want details, PM me or review or something of the kind)**_

_**If it sounds like something you'll like, great. Stick around and I swear on my life the rest will come in time.**_

_**I am **__**sooooo**__** open to suggestions for plot, I do have one in mind, but if there are people you would like to see, villains you suspect or want around, or just fun little plot points you want me to throw in, feel free to leave a note in a review or to PM me. Nothing is written as of yet (at least not well written) so everything is fluid. **_

_**I shall keep you all updated as best I can!**_

_**~Ariyah's Rider**_


	2. Ch 1: Dead Drop Difficulties

_**I am a terrible, terrible person. In all honesty, I'm not very proud of this chapter, but I've been staring at it for months and it's not getting any better than this. Sorry about that. Also, I haven't met my little dead line because...well, college is rough. Lots of things to do, less time to write. I've also been working on other things, and this one just fell away for a while. I know, lousy excuses. Any way, I hope readers like this chapter more than the writer did. **_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 1: Dead Drop Difficulties<strong>_

* * *

><p><em>"Hale go forth, hale return, hale on your ways." Odin said calmly, and Loki felt a jolt of power surge through his body, and a far rougher version of the pull of the Bifrost yank on him. It was like he was strapped into a harness and attached to a horse that was just spooked into a full out gallop. <em>

_And the world around him vanished._

It was harsher than the Bifrost, that was certain. It was worse than traveling the pathways, those were over in a bright flash of light and a couple of weird feelings. This method of travel was by far the most uncomfortable Loki had ever suffered.

And that was saying something, considering he'd endured Thor dragging him into the sky with a knife stuck in his side. Given he'd been barely conscious at the time, but he'd take that over this.

It was like being ripped to shreds and pasted back together, pulled to the farthest reaches of the Nine and crushed all at once. Exploding and imploding at the _same cursed time._ It hurt like nothing else, but at the same time it didn't. Whatever Loki felt, it was not comfort. Perhaps it wasn't pain, or perhaps his mind was too scattered to register pain. Oh what did it matter, he was _never_ doing this again.

_Hale go forth indeed._ Loki thought gruffly, then mused on how surprising it was that he could form thoughts. _I don't feel healthy at all._ It was then he noticed his eyes were closed. Tentatively, he opened one eye, and found blackness all around him, bursts of color and light flashing around his body. _So I still have a body. That's nice to know_. Not wanting to get dizzier than he already was, Loki closed his eyes and just let himself fall. If this was falling. It sure felt like falling, but no air passed by him, and he was being pulled up and down – or at least what he assumed was up and down – at the same time, with equal force.

_Just hang on. It'll end eventually._

_Hopefully it'll be a nice landing._

His hopes of a soft landing were dashed on what could only be described as _impact_. If he had been standing, he was not for long. Motion stopped abruptly, his whole body screaming it's protests at the earth beneath him, and his senses finding themselves once more bombarded with input from sound and smell and _touch_. The world screamed at him, and Loki just lay on his back, gasping for air lightly and waiting for the ache blazing in his bones to subside.

"Is he dead?" The voice of young woman drew him from his own little world inside his head, and he scowled, growling. Now that his senses had calmed, he could feel a wind whipping around, but fading in strength. The remnants of what sent him here. He could feel the dryness of the air, the heat radiating from the sun above. "Jane, there's another space man!" Jane. Right Jane, Thor's lover and the woman he'd been sent to. _I should get up._ Loki mused. _But the ground is quite comfortable at the moment._ "That did not look like his fancy rainbow, wormhole, thingy." The voice was more distant that time, not directed toward him, but at the sky. He could hear footsteps running up to him, and he forced himself to open his eyes.

The last vestiges of black clouds swept away, leaving the sun to bake at him like a worm on a sidewalk. With a groan, Loki raised a hand to his head, and then pushed himself into a sitting position, despite ardent protests from his spine.

"Maybe you should just lay down for a minute." A new voice said, and a woman kneeled down next to him, hands hovering over his body, as if she were afraid to touch him. Loki flashed her a winning smile and stood up fully, offering her a hand to stand.

"Is Asgard the land of Sexy People?" The younger woman said, off to the side, and Loki could not help a smile.

"Darcy!" Jane, Loki recognized her now, yelled at her friend. While they bickered, Loki checked that all his bones and internal organs were in the right place. To his relief, he was not scrambled and the ache in his form began to leave him.

"Lady Jane." Jane froze when he called her name, turning slowly to face him. Darcy was also gaping at him. "I apologize for my… less than average entrance, but we are having some trouble traveling these days." She crossed her arms and glowered at him.

"Thor had better have a pretty good excuse for breaking his promise to come back. What are you, a messenger boy?" Loki smirked a little at her words, but his heart wasn't in it.

"He does have a good excuse." The younger prince said, reaching into his coat and pulling out the letter Thor gave him. "He told me to give this to you, it explains everything." Jane gave him a dubious look and snatched the letter away. Loki himself had not read the letter, and prayed to the Norns that Thor had been thorough in his writing of it; else his mission here would be quite compromised. He watched her as she ate up the letter, he watched her expressions, saw as her eyes flitted to him and then back to the page, widening more and more as she read, and flicking back to him a number of times. Darcy was peaking over her shoulder, but Jane was so engrossed she didn't care. The younger woman drew away faster, coming up to Loki and standing on her toes, mere inches from his chest, narrowing her dark eyes and trying to look intimidating. It only made Loki want to laugh.

"So you're Loki."

"I am." The prince replied with a smile.

"Letter says you didn't attack us last year."

"The letter is truthful." Darcy narrowed her eyes even more, as if obscuring her vision would make her see the truth or lies in his heart. Loki swept his eyes over her; she was a short woman, larger than Jane was, stockier in build and seeming less delicate than her friend. Her mouth was taught in a skeptical scowl, lips slightly glossy with reddish pink color on them, her wavy brown hair was stuffed into a knit hat on the top of her head, pulled down around her ears, though why she was wearing a hat in this heat was beyond Loki's understanding. She was trying her darndest to be scary, but the second prince of Asgard merely found it amusing.

He drew his eyes away from her, then sidestepped the much shorter woman neatly and walked over to Jane, leaving a sputtering Darcy in his wake.

"Lady Jane?" He said quietly, hoping to pull her away from the letter he was sure she had finished by this point. She remained transfixed, staring at the parchment page as if it were the most precious thing in the universe. "Jane?"

"Just leave her, she'll snap out of it soon." Darcy said from behind him. Loki sighed and looked at the dry earth beneath his feet, kicking up some dust with his toe. He clasped his hands behind his back and resisted the urge to shift impatiently on his feet. Finally, he heard the sound of paper folding and looked back to his brother's mortal lover.

"Lady Jane-" Loki's words were cut off with a harsh slap across his face, so surprising it served to knock him back on his feet a little. Darcy snorted in laughter behind him, trying to hold it in. Rubbing his jaw, Loki turned to glare at the offending woman.

"That was for scaring Thor." She said, crossing her arms and glaring at him. Jane considered him for a moment, almost expecting him to rant about how wrong it was to strike a son of Odin, and rant like Thor had that first fateful night a year ago, but nothing came. She could see he wasn't happy, but then again he hadn't looked happy for a single moment yet. With a deep breath, and a leap of faith, she spoke once more. "You should come inside, it's too hot out here." Loki nodded curtly and let her lead them into her "home", or what served as such. "You can pass out on the couch if you want, there's not much to do around here, so…" Jane looked around lamely, unsure of what to do. She felt as though she'd had more of a handle on things when Thor was here. Perhaps it was because, despite his arrogance, Thor was amiable, while Loki just seemed cold and closed off to the world. His frigid politeness was unnerving, and held in it an unspoken expectation that Jane did not know how to satisfy.

"There's uh, food in the fridge… you have no idea what a refrigerator is, duh Jane. Uh…"

"You don't need to worry yourself with me, Lady Jane, I'm sore and tired. A place to lay my head and sleep will suffice for now." Jane blinked for a moment, frozen in place.

"Couch is open." Darcy said. "Or-"

"The couch will be just fine, thank you." Loki cut her off, settling onto the slightly lumpy but comfortable enough piece of furniture. He was sore and bone weary, the ground would have felt like his bed at home in this moment. The journey here had taken all of his energy, even if he had not cast the spell himself, and the sleepless night before compounded the effect. His body was protesting every movement he made, reminding him of his fall.

It was only moments when sleep took him.

* * *

><p>Darcy squinted at the Asgardian on the couch, trying to confirm that he was, in fact, asleep. He looked like he was, but she didn't trust him. Letter or no letter, all the books Jane had laying around about Old Norse mythology had plenty of things to say about how this guy was not trustworthy.<p>

"I don't like him." Darcy grumbled, finally deciding she didn't care if he heard. Jane frowned, eyes flicking back and forth as she shorted through her thoughts.

"Thor-"

"How do we even know if that letter is from Thor? What if he forged it?"

"Darcy, he didn't forge it. He's Thor's brother he's-"

"How do you know it's not forged?"

"How do you know it is! Jeez Darcy you sound like Eric!" Jane sighed, then picked up the letter again. Staring Darcy down, she began to read aloud.

"Dear Jane-"

"Oh come on, I read it." Darcy whined in protest. Jane hardened her glare and began again, making her intern slump into a chair with a huff.

"Dear Jane. If you are reading this letter I assume you have met my brother. If he has given this to you prior to introducing himself, he is the tall, black-haired and green-eyed fellow who is somewhere near you. That is Loki, my younger brother. I know what you must think of him, due to the events of this past year, but believe me when I assure you, he means no harm. Our father has sent him, for reasons I will entail later in this letter, for now, I shall tell you the truth of the events you witnessed last year.

I failed to mention, in my stay with you, either of my two younger siblings. Loki is the middle child of my family, and my youngest brother was Baldur. There was a _misunderstanding_ in our family on the loyalties of my two brothers. Baldur, as the youngest of three, stood no chance of ever gaining the throne, which was to be mine. He thought me unworthy, and saw himself more worthy. He planned to usurp me, and father, and tried to get Loki to join him. Loki refused, and tried to protect both myself, our parents, and Baldur, all at the same time. For seventeen years he was able to do so, and we were none the wiser. But despite all of Loki's efforts, Baldur would not be turned from his plan, and only Loki stood in his way. For this, Loki paid with his life.

Near four centuries past the man you see before you was sentenced to death and executed for the crime of attempted murder and slandering of a name. Near four centuries all of Asgard thought him not but a traitor and the worst of men. All the while, Baldur bided his time, waiting for Loki's demise to crush my family and watch us tear each other apart.

This did not come to pass. We discovered Baldur's plans, and imprisoned him in the dungeons beneath Asgard, for the remainder of his life.

Loki was vindicated of his crimes. He was an innocent man. There is an old legend that an innocent man who dies in the place of a guilty one can have their life restored, and others that Hela, Lord of the Dead, can return souls of the dead if her terms are met. These legends I latched onto as my only hope of seeing my brother again. So I went to Hela, I begged for my brother's life, and she granted my request. Loki was returned to the land of the living.

I must ask something of you now. Please, Jane, tell only trusted few of these facts which I have told you. I trust you with these secrets, please to not give them away freely.

To continue, after Loki was returned, and he recovered from his ordeal, life went on. I was to be coronated, but on the day of my coronation, frost giants came into our home. All you need know of frost giants is that they are our old foes, and they were neither welcome, nor supposed to be there. In my arrogance, I listened to the wisdom of neither my father or my brother, or even my friends, and dragged my friends and Loki to the land of the frost giants to seek answers. And to fight them. As expected, a fight broke out, and looking on it now, we are lucky to have made it out with our lives. My actions there began a path to war, and because of this I was banished to earth, stripped of my power. This is where you found me, Jane. Moments after my banishment.

I left my brother behind to deal with the rising turmoil in Asgard. The account of events there comes from my friends and Loki himself. If you ask it of him, I am certain he will give them to you in fuller detail than I need provide. My father fell into the Odinsleep, leaving the throne to Loki. Loki was unable to broker peace with the frost giants and he sent Sif and the Warriors Three to earth to help me regain my power and come home.

Baldur chose this moment to strike. He had been working with the Sorceress Amora, orchestrating events to lead to him taking Asgard. He allowed frost giants into Asgard on my coronation, and he allowed them into Asgard again, this time against a weakened Asgard. Loki was his first target. While we were fighting for our lives against the destroyer, Loki was fighting for his own. Baldur wounded him and took from him the control of the Destroyer, and sent it here to kill me. And he was forced to watch as Baldur did this.

Please believe me Jane, Loki did not attack me here, if he could have done anything, he would have, I swear it. I saw the relief in his eyes when I came home, I know for a fact that he did not harm me. He will not harm you.

As for what he is doing on your doorstep, I will tell you. The Bifrost was destroyed in the battle for Asgard last year, after I returned. As such, we are unable to travel between the realms. Loki, and others, have been trying to remedy the problem, but Loki has found a solution. On Midgard, there is a device that may help us rebuild the Bifrost. Loki is there to retrieve it. I will leave the rest of the tale to Loki and his discretion.

Also, he is not happy to be there, on Midgard. I know he may seem irritable and hostile, but I swear to you, he means no ill will. He merely wishes to be home as soon as time and his work allows. Please be patient with him, as you were with me.

And do not harm him, for that is something I will never forgive. Loki is prone to putting himself in harms way, so please Jane, for my sake if nothing else, stay out of trouble and watch out for my brother.

Thank you, and I am sorry I could not come myself.

Thor."

Jane put the letter down, fixing Darcy with a glare. Her intern cast a glare at the sleeping form of their guest, then looked back to Jane.

"I get to say I told you so when he kills us in our sleep."

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><p><em>Friday (Frigg's Day) July 15, 2012, approx 1:00 am<em>

Jane sat on the lawn chairs on the roof of her building, staring up at the stars. She was brought back to the night she had spent up there with Thor, talking about Asgard. He had seemed to stumble over some of his words, and now that she though about it, she had heard the name Loki mentioned once. He had been trying to explain something, and turned away to mumble something. All Jane had heard was _Loki _ and _laughing at me_, but the memory made her smile. She was wary of her new guest, but he had done nothing but sleep the entire day so far, and now that it was night, Jane figured she'd get a decent conversation out of him in the morning. So she just sat up her, little fire burning next to her and looking up at the stars. She was trying to see something, beyond the grasp of her eyes. She stood, as if her small frame could cover the distance that she needed, to see what she longed to glimpse. She wondered, where was Asgard, out there?

She wondered, did Thor miss her? Or had he moved on? If he did care for her, miss her, why was he not here? Sure, he had explained why he had not come before in his letter, but why did Thor not come himself, or perhaps alongside his brother. Wouldn't that have made things easier? Distrust for her new houseguest wormed into her mind. What if it was all a lie, what if Thor was dead, what if Loki was on the run, what if he was here to hurt her, using her trusting nature against her?

What if Loki wasn't safe?

Jane froze when she heard the door to the roof open, and she saw a tall, dark figure in the doorway. She did not acknowledge him at first, almost hoping he would go away. She kept her gaze defiantly heavenward, but Loki merely stood there, maybe looking at her, maybe past her. Quiet dragged on, and fear sunk into Jane's chest. She had to say something.

"Can you see it?" Jane asked, voice rushed and anxious, desperate to break the silence. Loki walked slowly from his position at the door over to her, stones crunching under his feet as he stared up at the sky, standing now beside her. "Asgard. Can you see it from here?" Jane clarified, feeling a blush run up her cheeks. She felt foolish.

"No." Loki sighed, almost as if he longed to see it himself. "Tis too far."

"Even for your eyes?"

"Even for my eyes." Loki replied, barely above a whisper. "Much too far."

"You don't want to be here, do you?" Jane asked, taking her gaze from the heavens and looking at the prince next to her. How could he and Thor be brothers, they looked nothing alike. Loki did not shift his eyes, staring into the stars, or perhaps beyond them, to something yet unseen. "Look beyond what you see." Jane said in a deep, strange voice, laughing at her own joke. Loki frowned, turning to look at her now. "Quote from a movie."

"I'm sure that explains it." Loki mused, looking back to the stars. "No Jane, I don't want to be here. I want to be in my home, with my family. But I'm here, and I cannot get home until I finish my work."

"Why did you come here?" Jane asked. "Not earth, but here here. Why did you come to me?" Loki's brow creased a moment, as if he were thinking on some deep matter.

"Thor." A simple word, as if it explained everything. Jane frowned, wishing Loki would face her, instead of staring at the sky.

"Thor?"

"He misses you. And, you are the only mortal that had had contact with us." Jane did not hear the second sentence. She did not notice that he had completely changed the subject. All she heard was 'he misses you'.

"Thor...misses me?" She whispered, unbelieving.

"Would I lie?" Loki asked calmly, turning to her now, vibrant green eyes searching her face to gage her reaction. Jane felt as though he was looking into her thoughts, and forced herself not to squirm.

"Well you are the god of lies." Jane countered, and Loki let his gaze drop, smile on his face as he chuckled and shook his head.

"I think I set myself up for that."

"Yeah, you did." Jane smirked, quite pleased with herself. The tension in the air began to leak away, and Jane's heart began to settle.

"Yes, Thor misses you a great deal. He's always pestering Hiemdal about you, asking what you're doing." Jane smirked laughing a little.

"That's... Kinda creepy. Cute, but creepy." At her words, Loki burst out laughing, having to sit down before he fell down. It was another thing different about him, Thor's laugh was like thunder, Loki's like a sweet silver song. "What's so funny?" She asked, staring down at her guest in confusion.

"You called him _cute_!" Loki exclaimed between laughs, breathless. "You, you, you... Thor? _Cute_? _Norns_..." Loki was beside himself, picturing in his mind Thor's reaction to the news that his mortal lover found him cute. As Jane looked at him, laughing quietly to herself at the image playing in her own mind. All her fear leaked away as she watched him, there was something so pure about the way he smiled, the way he laughed. Something that could not be faked, could not be a lie. It was love, even Jane could see it, glinting in his now watering eyes.

"What's he like?" Jane asked suddenly, gaining Loki's attention.

"Excuse me?" The young prince asked, rubbing one of his eyes. Jane sat down on the chair across the fire from him, watching as the firelight danced across his pale skin, lighting up his dark eyes. He was striking, and strikingly different from Thor. She could not seem to get past how dissimilar they seemed. Thor was broad and built like a brick wall, massive and secure, nothing could touch him. Thor was soft, no sharpness to his frame or his face. Thor was warmth and sunlight. He was a rock. Loki was all angles and edges, built almost like a wisp of a man. Loki's fingers would be the envy of many women, almost dainty. Loki was sharp, even his eyes cut like knives through the world. Loki was strangeness and charm. He was ice.

How could they be brothers?

"Lady Jane?" Loki's smooth and quiet voice drew Jane from her musings, and only then did she realize she had been _staring _at him for a good three minutes.

"Oh, I am so sorry…I…well I just…um…" Jane stuttered, unsure of what to say, but a small smile crept onto Loki's face, and then Jane saw it. It was not so large, nor as bright, but it was the warmth, the kindness in the look, the softness to his eyes she had not seen before. Suddenly, she could see Thor in this stranger before her. Perhaps they were not so different after all.

"You asked me a question." Loki said, encouraging her to continue.

"Oh, yeah. Thor, what's he like?" Jane asked, leaning back a little in her chair. "I only knew him for a few days, you've known him for your whole life." Loki nodded slowly.

"Thor is…" Loki laughed a little. "He's a marvelous fool." There was an almost wistful look in his eye as he spoke, a remembering glint. "Since we were little, he's been getting me into all sorts of trouble. It never ends. But, he's always been there when I need him to be. I know he doesn't think so, but he has. Thor is loyal beyond reason, he is honest to the point that it is painful. He cannot lie if his life depends on it." He rolled his eyes, chuckling slightly.

"I feel like there's a story there." Jane smiled, hoping to garner a tale from this younger brother of her lover's.

"Oh, there is quite the story. However, I promised Thor I would never tell, so I am afraid you will just have to wait." Jane pouted a little, but Loki stood firm. His gaze wandered around the roof, but he seemed to be looking elsewhere. "We have a place like this, he and I." He whispered, and Jane could tell that he was not seeing her roof now, but someplace he knew far better. He shook his head, turning back to her, then to the ground. "When we were little, a year or so after we had gotten separate rooms, Thor snuck into my room in the middle of the night, woke me up. He wanted to sneak around the palace, and of course I came with him. We got into our heads to try to get to the top of the palace's highest spire. There were so many stairs, I was exhausted, but Thor insisted we could make it." Loki laughed, shaking his head. "He must have said 'just a bit more Loki, you can make it' over a hundred times. He never once grew impatient with me. We found a little trap door at the top of the stairs. It was stuck and we had to pound on it so hard to get it to open. On the other side there was a balcony with the barest of railings, far at the top of the palace spire. We could see everything from there, could almost reach the stars. It was like magic. For years we would sneak off to go there, all hours of the day. Our parents were furious when they found out, and we had to beg them not to seal it up. They put a higher railing up." Loki gazed up at the stars for a moment, then looked back Jane. "This reminds me of that."

"It's just a roof." Jane said, looking around at the gravel topped floor, failing to see some grand Asgardian balcony that Loki seemed to gather. Loki's eyes flicked around, looking at the pale refection of his memory this Midgardian building provided. Perhaps it was just a roof, but it was familiar nonetheless. "Are the stars different in Asgard?"

"If the stars are different on the other side of this world, how much more so must they be across the universe?" Loki asked quietly. "It's been a long time since I've seen these stars, and these above us now are strange to me."

"Wait, you've been to earth before?" Jane asked, scooting to the edge of her chair, leaning in to get closer to Loki's soft-spoken words. He merely looked at her strangely, for a moment, seemingly confused about her question.

"Of course." He said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Where do you think the Norse myths came from?" Jane felt sheepish all of the sudden, drawing back and beginning to ramble on. Loki cut her off with a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "Thor and I have been to earth a few times in the past, ages ago though. The last time I stepped foot on Midgard was in the year 1194."

"Long time ago, huh? People still thought the earth was flat back then."

"Not the Norse." Loki corrected with a smile. "They sailed all the way to these lands, though I cannot say how long they survived here." Jane gazed at him, another question now eating at her mind. According to Thor's letter, the man sitting before her had been dead at one point. How that was possible was beyond her, he looked healthy enough. How long ago was it? How long had he been…passed on for? She wanted to ask, but knew it would beyond wrong to question him on the matter. So she settled for asking another question at the back of her mind.

"So, um… what happened in Asgard, last year? Thor told me the basic jist of it in his letter, but he kinda just skimmed, he wasn't there after all."

"There isn't much to tell, really. Baldur tried to take over and we stopped him. Not much more than that."

"You broke the Bifrost." Jane stated, asking for an explanation.

"Thor did that. Baldur was trying to use it to destroy Jotunhiem. There wasn't any other way. If there were, Thor would have done it. He meant to return here, he wanted to come with me. Our father wouldn't let him."

"And Thor just accepted that?" Jane asked, crossing her arms.

"Once I made him, yes." Loki smiled. "There was little point in arguing, only one of us could go, and I am the better diplomat."

"So your dad sent you."

"Exactly." Loki sighed. "I'm no more pleased about the situation than you or Thor, but it is what it is." The younger prince ran a hand through his inky black hair.

"How come you don't want to be here?" Jane asked, smirking. "Is earth really so bad?" Loki did not find the same humor in her words, eyes drifting off, looking grim.

"I have my reasons."

"Like what?" Jane asked. "What are you really missing?"

"What did Thor tell you in that letter?" Loki asked, his eyes suddenly boring into her, and Jane found herself feeling vaguely like a bug under a microscope. "About me, about Baldur? What did he tell you?" Jane swallowed thickly, the mood of the conversation had just taken a drastic turn downwards.

"He- he said you died-"

"Of course he did." Loki snapped, and in a flash and flourish of movement he swept away, back down the steps. Jane remained frozen, her heart pounding in her chest. She took a few deep breaths, trying to steady herself.

Whatever Thor might have said about Loki being harmless, he remained terrifying. For the barest of moments Jane had seen warmth in him.

And then it froze hard and fast.

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><p><strong><em>Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. <em>**


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